LRN Technology Co-op
Repair. Learn. Make.
Central Montana's own technology cooperative - built around repair, education, shared tools, and community resilience.
LEWISTOWN PUBLIC LIBRARY
MEETING ROOM
Ask questions
Learn about membership
No commitment required
What are we trying to build?
A place to Learn
Technology classes and workshops, for all ages like basic cell phone use, cybersecurity, digital literacy, 3D modeling, password managers, and introduction to coding (the old fashioned way AND the new way?).
Community Repair
Phone and device repair are difficult to find in Central Montana. I've been offering it on the side for a while, but I know there are more people locally who are capable of repair. Join our team and help the community fix broken screens, batteries, and other technological issues.
Makerspace!
I have big dreams about a small storefront that holds a filament bank for members to try out something new without buying a whole spool & recycle semi-used spools so someone else can try it, get consumables and parts locally, run a few interesting printers, and hang out with other nerds making similar things.
DIY Reticulum nodes? Yeah!
A 3D scanner to use? Yeah!
Radioshack 2.0? No! But kinda.
What might we actually do?
Your laptop stops charging?
Bring it in.Your parents can't figure out their new phones?
Send them to a class.You want to learn electronics soldering?
Recommend the workshop, then attend it.You need something 3D printed?
Ask the shop.You know something that you want to share?
Offer the class!You think the community desperately needs some technology service we haven't considered yet?
Bring it to the membership.
Why a cooperative?
A regular shop belongs to its owner. A cooperative belongs to its members. You can help shape priorities, elect leadership, guide classes and content, and decide what the organization should become.You don't need to be a computer expert to join. The point is to gather techy Montanans to create local technology infrastructure together.
Three ways to participate
Interested - Do you just want to keep an eye on what we're up to? Join the interest list, receive emails when we send them out, and follow along.Participate - Attend meetings, classes, or workshops. Volunteer to assist with gatherings, and suggest options you think are interesting.Help build it! - Become a member and help us work on governance, membership, fundraising, teaching, repair, or shop development.
Principles
• Local ownership
• Repair before replace
• Accessible technology education
• Open source software
• Privacy by default
• Data sovereignty
• Useful tech before shiny tech
• Community resilience
• Offline capability
• Affordable access
• Membership with meaning
What hasn't been decided yet?
We're still determining membership structures and dues, exact services, physical location, governance structure, workshop and class schedules, equipment priorities, and what the community actually needs most.The community must be involved to make these decisions, and that means hearing from You!